Explanations
by Wandering Raccoon
Summary: Bulma discovers something *very* unusual about the Saiya-jin anotomy, and persuades Vegeta to explain.


Explanations  
  
By: Skye Dragon  
  
Skye's Rambling Spot: What a crappy title. Um, anyway, I was taking a shower a few moments ago and I wasn't thinking about anything really, (Actually I was thinking about the trip I'm leaving on in the morning, but you don't need to know that) and this idea popped up out of absolutely nowhere. And I started thinking about it and I was like, 'Hey, that makes sense!' so I wrote it down, and thought some more. By the time I finished I was really proud of myself for coming up with my little theory (My brain also hurt, but again, that does not concern you) and I wanted to share it with someone. But it's kind of late now and I don't want to wake up any of my friends to call and tell them about my thought, so I decided I'd make it into a fanfic and post it, and then you people can read it and tell me what you think! Please? I really wanna know if it makes sense to anyone else besides me. If you see a hole in my theory please say so in a review. Okay, that's it. Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: DBZ is not mine. (like you didn't know) However, all the info given below, about how the Saiya-jin body works *is* mine. I made it all up in my personal attempt to explain what makes them tick. If you like my theory, though, then feel free to use it. Just give me credit, okay?  
  
Another note: Things in * ( *words* ) are in italics.  
  
Bulma stared at the computer screen. It was impossible. Something inside her computer must have snapped. That or all these late nights were starting to catch up with her, because what the computer was telling her was impossible.  
  
Vegeta's DNA was made up of *three* strands.  
  
But couldn't be so. Everyone knew that DNA was made up of *two* strands of genetic material wrapped around each other with other, littler, bits of material in-between, holding it all together. It was called a double helix. Like a ladder twisted around and around. That's what DNA looked like.  
  
It certainly didn't have *three* strands in it.  
  
But that's what the computer was displaying.   
  
Ever since she and the Saiya-jin prince had 'settled down' and had a child together, Bulma had decided to do a little checking up on Saiya-jin anatomy. Just in case something should ever happen to Trunks, and she needed to know. And also, Bulma admitted to herself, because Vegeta intrigued her. She wanted to know more about him, but Vegeta had so far refused to tell her very much. So she ended up taking a different route. Namely taking a blood sample and analyzing it.  
  
That was how she'd gotten to where she was now.   
  
Bulma sighed and stared at the 3D model of a very messed up DNA strand that rotated slowly on her computer screen. It just couldn't be. There had to be a problem with the program . . .  
  
A sound brought her out of her deep thought.   
  
"WOMAN! Where is she? WHERE IS SUPPER!?!" The deep voice of the prince of Saiya-jins boomed through the halls of the (ahem) *large* Brief's home.  
  
Bulma blinked and looked up at the wall clock. She was shocked to see how late it had become. She started to get up, but another bellow from Vegeta sounded, and abruptly she sat down again. Let him come find her, if he wanted her that badly. She wasn't his slave.  
  
Several minutes later, Vegeta apparently got the hint, for he came storming through the door to Bulma's lab. "Woman! What are you doing? Did you not hear me calling for you?!" He demanded.  
  
Bulma returned his hard glare. "Yes, I *did* hear you, Vegeta." She grounded his name out harshly. "And probably everyone in the city heard you, too!" She glared for a moment longer, and then returned her attention to the computer, apparently ignoring her angry husband.  
  
Needless to say, this did not sit well with Vegeta. "Well? Aren't you going to do something about it??"  
  
Bulma did not look up at him. "No, I'm busy. You can fix your own food. . . or starve. Which ever you prefer." She knew good and well that those were fighting words, and no doubt the Saiya-jin would take it as a challenge. She sighed, waiting for the uproar that would follow.  
  
Nothing came.  
  
Surprised, Bulma turned and looked at him. Vegeta was staring at the computer screen displaying the incorrect DNA. "Is *that* what has you so busy?" He questioned, his deep voice was unusually low, warning Bulma that he was up to something.  
  
". . . Yes. There's something wrong with the program I'm running."  
  
Vegeta snorted in disgust. "I can fix that." He held out one hand and a ball of energy began to form.  
  
"NO! VEGETA DON'T YOU DARE!!!" Bulma leapt up from her seat.  
  
Vegeta chuckled, smiling to himself, as he let the energy be absorbed back into his body. He was glad he'd gotten a response from her. Now maybe she would realize her place again and feed him. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he wondered if Bulma realized how attractive she was when she was mad. "Why shouldn't I?"  
  
"This is very important work!" Bulma ranted. "And you should care, because it's about you!" She calmed down some. "At least, it would be if it worked."  
  
Vegeta blinked at her. "About me? What are you talking about?"  
  
Bulma sighed and sat down, all the anger drained away now by her tiredness. "I was trying to make a model of your DNA, but it didn't work. The computer said your DNA has *three* strands in it."  
  
"So what's wrong with that?" Vegeta grunted.  
  
Bulma openly gaped at him. "What do you mean, 'what's wrong with that?' Everything's wrong with that!" She declared, "DNA doesn't *have* three strands."  
  
"Maybe yours doesn't, but mine does." Vegeta informed her in a dead serious tone.  
  
Bulma stared at him dumbly. "But-but *WHY*? What's the point?" She demanded.  
  
Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "Because it has to be there, or we can't transform into an Oozaru."  
  
"You mean the giant killer ape thing?" Bulma questioned, still not following his point.  
  
"It's called Oozaru." He growled.   
  
"But I thought you had to have a tail to do that."  
  
"You do. But the DNA reflects that. Without the third strand of DNA the tail would be useless." Vegeta finished. "Now that you know your program is correct, you can cook my supper." He turned and walked back to the lab door, not even looking to see if Bulma was following him.  
  
"WAIT!" Bulma called out, still sitting in her computer chair. "I still don't understand. Why is the tail useless?"  
  
Vegeta, his hand on the doorknob, looked back at her. "It doesn't matter; none of us have tails anymore. Come on, woman, I don't have all night!"  
  
Bulma crossed her arms, determined to get what she wanted. "*I* do. And so do you unless you want to cook for yourself. Now explain."  
  
Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her, and when she refused to move, he growled. "I can't believe I have to explain how a Saiya-jin body functions to a human!" He muttered to himself. "Fine. What do you want?"  
  
"Explain the third strand to me."  
  
"I just did!" Vegeta snapped. Bulma glared at him and reminded him of the food that would not be cooked until he did what she wanted. He sighed. "Humans have two strands of DNA, right?" At her nod he went on, "Well a Saiya-jin has three. Two work the same way human DNA does. The third strand is different. It contains all the genetic information for the Oozaru form. This strand is dormant, until certain conditions occur. Then it will become active, and the Saiya-jin will transform."  
  
"Then what is the tail needed for?" Bulma questioned.  
  
"The Kasusen gland is located there." Vegeta said, his expression clearly indicating how annoyed he was that he had to explain all this. Bulma just stared at him. He groaned. "The Kasusen gland produces a hormone called Ekikasu. The hormone is what activates the third DNA strand."  
  
"Ohh." Bulma nodded as understanding dawned. "So that would be why a Saiya-jin can't transform after their tail is cut off. I always wondered about that."  
  
"Yes, the gland is also why a Saiya-jin's tail is so sensitive to pressure, the gland itself is very sensitive. It also can only produce the hormone for a limited time. After about twelve of your earth hours it would stop producing." Vegeta stated matter-of-factly, while also in the back of his mind, realized that this was probably one of the few times he'd ever be grateful for all the long, boring lessons he'd had to sit through as a child. "When a Saiya-jin sees a full moon, the light causes his brainwaves to alter ever so slightly. The new pattern of the brainwaves triggers the gland which produces the hormone which activates the third DNA strand which sets off the transformation into an Oozaru." Vegeta quickly finished, then turned a look on Bulma that clearly stated he was expecting supper now.  
  
But Bulma was frowning. "Alters brainwaves?"  
  
"Yes, the moonlight alters brainwaves. Slightly. That's why when a Saiya-jin is transformed they are intent only on causing as much damage as possible, and don't recognize people they care about. Not even Kakarot could control himself." He smirked.  
  
Bulma grimaced, remembering what Goku had done the first time she'd seen him transformed. She, Goku, Yamcha, Oolong, and Puar had been locked in a solar-powered oven (AN-I guess you can call it that) by the evil emperor Pilaf. Then Goku had transformed and destroyed Pilaf's castle, nearly killing her and the others in the process. "Hmmm, that does make sense." She commented.  
  
"Of course it does." Vegeta snapped. "You think I don't know about my own body?"  
  
Bulma looked back up at him. "I never said that!" She snapped back at him, then her expression softened as she returned to her musing. She'd never thought to ask Vegeta about how the Saiya-jin body worked, why should she? He'd never answered any of her other questions about himself. This was all very important. She needed to get it down. "Hmm. HEY! I just thought of something!" She looked back at her husband. "That means that if I could create a substance similar to Ekikasu, then you could transform without your tail." She paused, "But *why* would I want you to transform?" She then wondered to herself.  
  
Vegeta sweat-dropped. Honestly! "Doesn't matter. It wouldn't work anyway."  
  
"Why not? Not that I would want to try it or anything." She quickly defended when Vegeta quirked his eyebrow at her in a questioning way.   
  
"Because the DNA has to be receiving the hormone constantly or it will become dormant again. That's why a Saiya-jin returns to normal the second their tail is gone." Vegeta answered.  
  
"I need to write all this down." Bulma commented out-loud to herself. She turned to the computer and quickly entered in several commands to bring up a clean document and began typing away just as fast as she could.   
  
Vegeta growled. He was *not* going to let her just forget about him. Abruptly he yanked the plug on her computer. Bulma gasped.   
  
"VEGETA! WHAT DO YO-WAHHH!" Bulma's exclamation turned into a surprised yelp as Vegeta bodily picked her up and began carrying her, none too gently, out of the room and towards the kitchen. "Wha- what are you doing?! VEGETA!"  
  
"Hush, woman." Vegeta said, not looking at her. "I'm making sure you keep your end of the bargain. You can write down everything I said, *after* you cook my supper."  
  
In his arms, Bulma was furious, but knew it would get her no where, and so with an exasperated sigh, she forced herself to calm down. At least she had gotten Vegeta to open up to her . . . or something.  
  
As husband and wife passed through the halls, one door opened, and young Trunks peered out of his bedroom after them. He blinked several times, then shook his head and retreated back into his room, muttering "I don't even want to know. . ."   
  
End  
  
*******************************************************************************************************  
  
UPDATE:11-17-02  
  
Okay, I know it probably seems crazy that I'm updating this after having not touched it since it was posted. But anyway. When I first posted this, I welcomed anyone who could shoot down my theory; providing hard evidence on why it wouldn't work. I just knew there was no way I could come up with something this complex and have it work. And actually, now that I'm in AP Biology. I realize it wouldn't work, simply cuz DNA doesn't lay dormant and then activate. But it sounds neat, doesn't it? Anyway. . .   
  
Nobody pointed that little flaw out to me, but several people did point out another flaw. A couple of reviews and several e-mails informed me that my theory was a failure because Vegeta could control what he did and said when he transformed. (This is going waaaaay back to when Vegeta and Napa first arrived on Earth. Think you can remember that far back?) I want to assure you all that I was very much aware of that when I wrote this, and as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't disprove this theory at all. Vegeta clearly stated that he and Napa were more evolved than the average Saiya-jin. If you will remember, it also didn't hurt him to have his tail grabbed. So you see? My theory still works. The reason Vegeta is an exception was because he was more evolved. He had grown past that.   
  
Now, as to exactly HOW he evolved and WHY it worked that way, I don't know. My guess would be that he and some of Freeza's scientists worked and found a drug or chemical that altered the nerves in his tail to not transmit pain, or the nerves in his brain to function differently in a way he could control. I don't know, and frankly I'm a little scared to go much further with this line of thought, for fear that I would create a sequel to this story. And honestly, I don't think this story is all that very good, since I only wrote it with the intention of simply presenting my theory. And I fear to see what would happen if I tried that again.   
  
Also, as to what's happening on the inside when they turn Super Saiya-jin . . . well, I'll let you wonderful folks come up with that one. ^_~ 


End file.
